Patagonia

The company’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, is known as the “anti-business businessman.” He got his start after the innovative rock climbing equipment he invented became a hot commodity in his local climbing community in the early 60’s. Later, he added a super durable rugby shirt into his product line, which quickly became the primary product his very small company sold. He later changed the company name to “Patagonia” — and men’s and women’s outdoor apparel became the focus of his business. While Patagonia is known for being revolutionary in making environmentally-thoughtful choices through every step of the design, manufacturing and retailing processes, they are radical in the way they interact with their customers about topics related to sustainability and social responsibility; they encourage their customers to only buy products that they actually need, and will repair or replace any of their own products in select stores, free of charge.

A Better Alternative

The brand is perhaps best known for their rain shells. Their newest men’s version has 100% Bluesign Approved nylon and is completely waterproof.

Stella McCartney

Stella is every cruelty-free fashion girl’s hero, as the founder of the “world’s first and only vegetarian luxury brand”. While all of her competitors are known for using rich leathers, rare furs, and exotic animal skins in their designs — her brand takes a stand against the unethical sourcing and chemical processing of these materials, and instead developed sustainable and ethical alternatives. The beauty of her apparel, handbag and accessory designs hold their own against the “Chanels” of the world and has made “vegan leather” desirable, rather than a material associated with cheap, mass-produced products. Along with this mission, Stella and her parents, Paul and Linda McCartney, also founded the “Meatless Monday” movement, which encourages people to curb their meat consumption by cutting meat out of their diet one day per week.

A Better Alternative

The “Fallabella” is Stella’s signature bag, embellished with silver chain links and irresistible color options.

Eileen Fisher

When you think of stereotypical eco-friendly apparel, complete with a soft, earthy color palettes, natural fibers and loose-fitting silhouettes, Eileen Fisher’s line fits the bill exactly. This women’s apparel company is a game-changer in terms of developing a thoroughly sustainable product line. It is known by the fashion industry for it’s comprehensive approach to creating eco-friendly fabrics. Through their Vision 2020 campaign, they have pledged to use 100% organic linen and cotton fibers by 2020 and reduce their use of viscose. They use natural, chemical-free dyeing methods, and even have a line of un-dyed cashmere sweaters. This thoughtful mentality doesn’t stop with materials; they monitor their factories closely to ensure healthy and ethical working conditions and develop select products domestically to cut down on carbon emissions associated with transportation.

A Better Alternative

This jacket is made from 100% organic, un-dyed linen and has a lovely, natural texture.

Everlane

Most ethical business professionals will tell you that the root of so many environmental and worker’s rights problems start with an untraceable supply chain and a lack of corporate transparency. Everlane is challenging the industry status quo by boasting “radical transparency” to their customers, giving them visibility from everything to where their clothes come from and what the company’s pricing model is. They sell classic pieces for both men and women, but distinguish their product line by showing typical retail markups and how they set their own prices. Instead of having sales, they have a “choose your price” option so customers can see different retail markdowns. Their merchandising is also very different from other retailers and encourages conscious buying. Instead of releasing seasonal products four or more times per year, almost all products are sold year-round in neutral colors and classic, wearable styles. They understand that most people shop for one item at a time rather than buy a new closet every season, and have organized their product assortment as such. Having season-less products encourages consumers to buy new items when they need them rather than when they simply want them.

A Better Alternative

The brand started out selling classic tees. Here’s the men’s “classic crew” in 100% milled cotton, milled and sewn in LA.

The Reformation

Reformation is on a mission to “make killer clothes that don’t kill the environment”. The brand uses a variety of eco-friendly textiles and dyes to create casual, sexy clothing for women. They have also developed the “RefScale”, which shows the amount of CO2, water savings, and waste savings for each clothing item they sell compared to the industry standard. They are a perfect entry point to the world of sustainable fashion because they have trendy styles and do a great job of educating consumers about the fabrics they use and the impact they have by using special hang tags and putting in-depth descriptions on their website. They’ve even started a wedding line, complete with dresses for the bride, bridesmaids and guests.

A Better Alternative

The Addilyn dress is classic Reformation – a floor-length wrap dress with a deep V and leg slit in a floral print.